Scarlet Letter Puritan

Words: 1374
Pages: 6

Nathanial Hawthorne’s book, the Scarlet Letter, was written in the year 1890; however, takes place in a small puritan society outside of Boston during the 1600s. Puritans are known to be religious radicals in Christianity. Puritans came to the United States in the early 1600s to escape religious prosecution in Europe. Puritan society would be difficult to live in because of their rigid adherence to Christianity, a mere sin is a crime and puritans are known for giving extreme punishment for moral turpitude. The Sullfolk county court records from 1671-1673 show some of the punishments put on people for breaking a moral law. In a single case a man named Robert Marshall was accused of being an atheist and was sentenced a choice of either prison …show more content…
Hester first come to the reader as a terrified single mom whom has just gotten out of prison and becomes the center of public shame. At Hester’s lowest point she is standing on the scaffolding in the center of the market place holding her baby Pearl over her chest to hide the scarlet letter, while Mr. Dimmesdale, the child’s father, sits and watches. It is after this ordeal that Pearl, Hester, and Mr. Dimmesdale begin their transformations. Hester molds herself from a woman whom is afraid of her ex-husband into a woman who can take on her demons. For the first few years of the story Hester keeps to herself, her only duty being taking care of pearl. Hester earns a wage by sewing extravagant clothing for people in her town; however never making anything for herself. The burn of the scarlet letter on the chest of Hester molds her into s strong women, while simultaneously the burn on Mr. Dimmesdale’s chest slowly works to kill him. Because of the declining health of the minister they hire a medicine man, Hester’s husband, which only becomes a detriment to the minister’s health and well-being. Through Hester’s actions of helping the poor and needy the meaning of the A on her chest changes meaning from a symbol of sin and distrust into a symbol of hope. Hester becomes less of a religious radical through the wearing of the scarlet letter because she now knew what it was like to be in the on other …show more content…
Hawthorne was born in 1804 in Salem Massachusetts. During his lifetime he would see changes such as the end of slavery and the rise of the women’s movement in America. Although women did not gain the right to vote until 1919, they had still accomplished many feats during the 1800s and Hawthorne’s lifetime. Hawthorne was born near the end of a time called the enlightenment, which was the idea that people give up their religious based theories and look for more scientific solutions. It is in this context that Hawthorne writes the Scarlet Letter. In his book he portrays and discusses many of his moral views and the views of the time. One moral argument he makes in the scarlet letter is equality for women. His character Hester Pyrime represents a strong independent women who even in the scope if great shame and misery was still able to become an influential member of society and raise a child. Hawthorne also makes argument against the religious radicalness of the puritan society of the 1600s. He did this by describing the horrible humiliation and grief a mother and daughter were put through just because the father would not step forward and Hester would not give him up. Hawthorne also makes an argument about the bond two people share whom have created another life. After seven years a part Mr. Dimmesdale is still in love with Hester and plans to leave with her, a plan only to be foiled